OWAC V - The Canus Gigas

As promised last time, my dwarf mercenaries welcome the Canus Gigas ("Grey Giant" in Classical), distant cousin of the Helvetus Gigas discovered in the canton of Lucerne (depicted below on one of the paintings of Lucerne's wooden bridges). 

The model is a Citadel C28 giant, holding a slightly converted trunk from the Gargant plastic kit. End of June, I was not satisfied with the result submitted to the OWAC. The fact that I've used an old pot of Reikland Fleshshade didn't help (for some reasons, it became very glossy), and but the main reason is my painting job, definitely lacking contrasts. When you look at the giant using a greyscale conversion, the flesh, the trunk and the clothes have very close values. Not good.

I have therefore decided to touch up the giant after June's entry. Essentially, I have tried to emphasize the flesh parts with washes of  black and dark red in the shadows, and more highlights on the shoulders and the forehead of the giant. I've also darkened the trunk a little bit with washes of dark brown, dark green and black, and reworked the tunique by removing the redish and greyish parts, that were distracting the eye of the observer (at least from my point of view).

All in all, I see some improvement, even if I'm well aware that I should spend more time on models like this one.

Now back to the dwarfs. The Gigas often needs some help to find the battlefield, as giants are not famous for their skills in manoeuvring. 

For the giant herders, I have picked 3 spare models of the Marauder Miniatures range and replaced their original weapons with the imperial wagon man-catcher, the fork of a squig herder, and what I was able to sculpt in greenstuff for the whip.

Now go! Right in front of you, stupid giant!

OWAC V - More thunderers

Once again, painting the fourth and last mandatory unit of the challenge has proven to be a difficult task. Blame the blue, a color I struggle with, and a "déjà-vu" feeling, as I had already painted most of these models at least once. Anyway... 

Lucerne was one of the Swiss Cantons I had not addressed yet. The omission is now rectified with this second regiment of thunderers, wearing the blue-and-white colors of their clan.

Coat of arms of the Canton of Lucerne (triangular painting in the Chapel Bridge, Lucerne)

 

Nothing particular to mention on the thunderers, all from the Marauder Miniatures range. I'm not particularly happy with the standard-bearer, but my painting mojo was too low to adorn the banner with runes or dwarf patterns of some sort. Anyway... the fourth regiment is done!

And the resulting band:

See you next month with the leader and a few bonuses.

June's preview: the Canus Gigas

In 1577, under an overturned oak tree in the canton of Lucerne, gigantic bones were discovered, which City of Basel physician Felix Platter later declared as those of a giant, the Helvetus Gigas. In reality, they were mammoth fossil bones. Of course, in the Old World, the Gigas is an actual inhabitant of the Grey Mountains... It should be part of June's entry :)

The Giant of Lucerne (Chapel bridge, Lucerne)

OWAC V - Some thunderers

As promised last month, enter the thunderers for the third month of the OWAC V.

The dwarfs of the Red Claw clan are not fond of the fancy clothes worn in the Empire, and rather stick to leather gambesons and chainmails, the top of the fantasy being a coloured feather. Their attachment to the traditions and their native hold is symbolized by the mascot they bring to every battlefield: a fierce mountain bear, which also appears on the coats of arms of the clan.

Appenzell banner (1499)

 

My initial plan was to paint the standing bear of the Canton of Appenzell, but it didn't fit with the format of the banner. I've used instead the walking bear of the Canton of Bern as a reference. Below the original and the resulting copy:

The standard bearer:

The musician is the other model slightly converted for this unit, by replacing the original sword by a handgun. The other dwarfs are MM10, MM15 or MM16 Marauder Miniatures, plus Cyril the bear from the old Citadel Dwarf King's Court set.

 

Second rank:

First rank:

And the full clan:

See you next month with a new clan!

OWAC V - More pikemen

Second month of the OWAC V, and second unit of pikemen, after the canton of Uri / BlackHorns clan painted last year. This time, I wanted something inspired from the canton of Schwyz: these new dwarves would wear red and white, and carry a banner showing a white cross on a red background. Efficient, and  simple to paint 😁

The Bernese Chronicle

 

Admittedly a rather ordinary regiment... until I see this picture in the Chronicon Helvetiae:

No clue what this jester is doing in this illustrated chronicle, but I wanted one for my unit, seconding his lord, and cheering the  guards with lame jokes. So, instead of aligning 10 additional dwarves from the marauder MB1 and MM15 ranges, I have replaced two of them by the gnome jester of the Dwarf King's Court set and the Baron of the Dwarf Lords of Legend set. Et voilà!

 

And the rest of the bunch:

Now grouped for the family shots:

With this regiment, I have now painted all the mandatory troops for a 3rd edition Warhammer dwarf army: 40 warriors split into 20 pikemen and 20 halberdiers, and two units of 10 crossbowmen each 🍻

 

Next month should see a new clan with harquebuses and a hairy mascotte...